by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

by Jeff Zillgitt, USA TODAY Sports

Then, leading by 14 points with less than four minutes to play, the Nets imploded, and Bulls guard Nate Robinson scorched the Nets with 34 points.

In a fantastic back-and-forth, four-hour contest, the Bulls defeated the Nets 142-134 in triple overtime in Game 4 on Saturday and took a 3-1 lead in their first-round NBA playoff series. Game 5 is Monday (7 p.m. ET, TNT).

The ending was anticlimactic after the way the regulation ended. The Bulls took a 133-128 lead with 3:19 left in the third overtime and the Nets were never closer than three after that.

The antithesis of the middle two games, which were defensive battles and offensive slogs, Game 4 provided offense and entertainment. It tested the physical and mental strength of both teams.

The Bulls were a trace stronger in both areas.

"The game wasn't going our way to start the fourth, and our guys just kept battling," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That's something they've done all year. We were down. Our team showed some toughness. They missed some shots. We had some timely shots. Nate made a number of big-time plays and shots. We had a hard time getting stops. We're fortunate to come out with a win. We played well offensively. We've got to play a lot better defensively."

The Nets came out strong in the third quarter and took an 84-76 lead into the fourth quarter and built a 109-95 edge with 3:45 left in the fourth quarter. However, Chicago outscored the Nets 16-2 the rest of the way, forced overtime and pulled off a stunning victory.

It was a colossal collapse by the Nets, who need to win three consecutive games to extend their season.

"We need to focus on Monday," Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We made some mistakes and had some tough calls go against us. We just have to focus ahead and not talk about things we could've done. ... It was both teams slugging each other. It went back and forth. ... When it is all said and done, we did not do enough things to win. We have to get a win Monday and bring it back here."

Robinson scored 12 of his game-high 34 points in the final 3:45 of regulation. The diminutive guard was feisty all game, getting into it with former Bulls teammate C.J. Watson in the second quarter, resulting in a double-technical.

Nets forward Gerald Wallace also delivered a hard and clean screen on Robinson with 7:30 left in the fourth quarter. That fired up Robinson.

Bulls center Joakim Noah's put-back off his own miss tied the score at 111-111, forcing the first overtime. Deron Williams had a chance to win the game but he missed a shot with three seconds left and Jimmy Butler blocked Wallace's put-back attempt.

"Huge win, huge win. Nathaniel was huge. â?¦ I'm just proud of my teammates," Noah said during the on-court post-game interview with Bulls TV. "Now, let's go end this in Brooklyn."

Joe Johnson forced the second overtime with a basket as time expired, and Noah missed a game-winning attempt at the end of the second overtime.

One play that seemed inconsequential at the time turned out to be a pivotal for the Nets. After Watson stole the ball, he missed a fastbreak dunk with no one around him. That would have given the Nets a 111-95 lead with 3:16 left. Instead, Robinson started the comeback with a three-pointer, part of his 23-point fourth quarter.

"He put on a straight show out there," Bulls forward Carlos Boozer said. "It was like he couldn't miss. We just kept giving him the ball and let him do what he does. When he's on like that, let him roll, and boy, was he rolling."

The praise for Hinrich came from several directions, none more glowing than from his coach.

"Unbelievable. You've got one of the toughest covers in the league in Deron Williams," Thibodeau said. "Deron Williams, it's not only the pick-and-rolls. It's transition, it's catch-and-shoot, it's the post, it's the cutting. He's in constant motion. You're getting hit with 100 screens minimum, and he gets around them, over them, through them.

"That being said, his demeanor. Deron Williams has the ability to make (shots). You can defend him great and he still makes. But to come back and defend him great the next time again and again and again, and that shows his toughness. But more importantly, how he runs the team. Everyone gets in rhythm, he sets the tone on ball with his defense, he's a great leader, a great teammate, and he plays to win."

Brooklyn shot 57.1% through four quarters and had done many of things Carlesimo said the Nets needed to do to win.

"For two teams who are supposed to be pretty good defensively, it was a shootout, and not just because of overtime," Carlesimo said. "Neither of us did a good job of stopping each other."

Noah, who is battling plantar fasciitis, had 15 points and 13 rebounds in 39 minutes, the most he has played since March 10. Bulls forward Luol Deng logged almost 57 minutes and had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists.

It was indicative of the Bulls' mental resolve cultivated under Thibodeau.

"It's an important trait to have as a team," Thibodeau said before Game 4. "This team has been hit with a lot of things this year. They've shown great resolve. We fight. That's something I think is valuable. â?¦

"We've got tough guys. We've got the right guys. Attitude and approach are important. That's something we value, and we've gotten great leadership from our veterans."

The collective playoff experience of Williams, Johnson and Wallace (143 playoff games combined) has not yielded results for the Nets.

This was a game the Nets needed and didn't get. They made 53.8% of their shots and hit three-pointers â?? exactly what Carlesimo said needed to happen if the Nets wanted to even the Eastern Conference series.

They had more points at the end of the third quarter than they did in the two previous games, but it appears the Nets are just not ready for the moment.

Brooklyn can look at several areas where the game got away, including defense down the stretch. But they also made 29 of 45 free throws, and Chicago turned 19 Nets turnovers into 28 points.

"It was an entertaining game, but free throws really hurt us," Carlesimo said. "Turnovers were really big. That was a major factor in the game."